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35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
There is something special here, December 19, 2001
I recently re-read this book, which I'd enjoyed as a child (forty years ago). Today, it seems rather dismal to me - horrible poverty, illness, the pat happy ending and children who are horribly gushing over their mother. Yet, years back, what I most liked about the story was that, being a very independent and mature child myself, Polly and Ben succeed very well at taking on adult responsibilities. Though I'm at a loss about explaining exactly how the author does so, I've found that this is a book which every reader interprets differently - and that shows an amazing depth. My own mother remembers reading it as a child, and being moved by the familial devotion and respect for the matriarch. As other posts here make clear, it can reach each of us on a different level. This book is a worthy addition to any child's library. However, I'd leave a single caveat: do not use it to prompt "a talk," especially on the "look how good you have it today" theme. Let the era introduce itself. It was a time of great poverty for many, yet also one which idealised a form of "perfect" family relationships which no one could hope to have. The combination of gritty realism with idealistic dreams has a message that kids will grasp on their own, and probably quite inventively.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Old Fashioned, but Charming, August 29, 2006
"The Five Little Peppers" are Ben, Polly, Joel, Davie, and Phronsie. Their father died when Phronsie was a baby and Mrs. Pepper struggles to earn enough money to support the family. Despite their poverty, they are a loving family, full of spirit and adventure. Ben and Polly do what they can to support the family, but a bout with measles threatens the well being of the entire Pepper clan, especially Joel and Polly. The family has other adventures and befriend Jasper King during one of them. This friendship will enrich their lives in ways they never thought would be possible.
It's always interesting as an adult to reread a book that I loved as a child. When I was young I thought how much fun the Peppers had and longed to belong to a large family. As an adult, I realize how poor the family really was and how quickly the children had to grow up. As a child I thought how terrible it was that Polly couldn't read for days on end because of the measles; as an adult I realize the Peppers couldn't even afford to buy books.
First published in 1881, "The Five Little Peppers and How They Grew" is old-fashioned (the doctor even makes house calls!), but still enjoyable. The Peppers are all delightful children, with Joel being the most honest of the bunch as he complains about having to eat the same food every day. Margaret Sidney was a talented author, who could make even inanimate objects, such as the stove, seem alive. The children's adventures may seem simple to today's young readers, who are used to Harry Potter and the like, but it's a refreshing change.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Family Tradition, December 15, 2001
This book was the first in a series of 12 about the Pepper family. It was written in 1881 and takes place shortly after the Civil War(1860's-70's). The Pepper books follow the adventures of the 5 Pepper children and their widowed mother. The Peppers are poor but proud and the books extoll the importance of family and love and honesty and believing in yourself. These are wonderful books for children of all ages. They are sweet and funny and have an undercurrent of morality sadly lacking in most books written today. I started with my mothers childhood copy and have read and re-read the 4 books from the series I have been able to track down. I would recommend this and all the Pepper books to everyone. They are especially suited to be passed down from mother to daughter.
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